John Kerry pushes for progress on Mideast peace agenda as Israel approves 'unproductive' plan for new houses in Jerusalem

John Kerry pushes for progress on Mideast peace agenda in Israel

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said some progress toward reviving Middle East peace talks needs to be made “long before September,” when the next session of the United Nations General Assembly will begin.

While Mr. Kerry said he will set no deadlines for kick-starting a new round of negotiations, he said that time “allows a vacuum to be filled by people who don’t want things to happen,” and unforeseen dangers can arise.

Mr. Kerry was greeted by such a development Wednesday, when Israel approved plans for 69 new housing units in a section of Jerusalem that Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East War and Palestinians consider occupied territory. A municipal building committee approved the permits, city spokeswoman Brachie Sprung said by telephone.

Israel continues to build in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, which the U.S. State Department has called “unproductive.” The latest move to add housing is unhelpful as the U.S. urges all parties to help create a climate for peace, a department official said, speaking on condition of anonymity in advance of Mr. Kerry’s meetings.

The Palestinians have refused to return to talks without a freeze in settlement construction, and they have signaled they might resume their quest at the UN to join the International Criminal Court.

Now Mr. Kerry is in Amman, Jordan, for three days of consultations with Israeli and Palestinian leaders aimed at bringing them to the table for the first time in almost three years.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said in an interview with Al Jazeera television that he hopes Mr. Kerry brings “something important” and new that will help narrow the gaps with Israel and lead to fresh talks. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week that he’ll engage in peace negotiations if Palestinians indicate they’re willing to address all substantial issues and resolve the conflict.

Peace is based on security

Mr. Netanyahu is willing to withdraw from the West Bank if his security concerns are met, Haaretz newspaper said, citing an unidentified Israeli minister. The prime minister has said any Palestinian state must be demilitarized, and Israel needs to maintain a security presence on the border between the West Bank and Jordan.

“Peace is based on security,” Mr. Netanyahu said at a ceremony in Jerusalem. “It is not based on goodwill and legitimacy,” he said, in remarks broadcast on Army Radio.

Another Cabinet minister, Yaakov Peri, told the Army Radio station that Mr. Netanyahu “knows he will have to carry out a painful evacuation of a number of settlements” as part of any deal.

The goal of Mr. Kerry’s sessions with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders is to come up with confidence-building measures and a formula for getting both sides back to the negotiating table, said a State Department official.

Part of the strategy involves selling Mr. Abbas on an economic plan to spur private investment for economic development in the West Bank if a two-state solution could be worked out, the official said. No U.S. government funding would be involved, the official said.
Bloomberg News, with files from The Associated Press